Needle-clamp for sewing-machines.



J. P. WBIS.

NEEDLE CLAMP FOR SEWING MAGHINBS. I

} APPLICATION FILED AUG. 17,1903.

I Patented Mar. 2, 1909.

A770 NE).

INVENTORY 71a UNITE JOHN P. WEIS, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR, BYMESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO METROPOLITAN SEWING MACHINE COMPANY, A CORPORATIONOF NEW YORK.

NEEDLE-CLAMP FOR Original application filed June 5, 1903, Serial No.160,207.

Serial No.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN P. Wars, a citi- Zen of the United States,residing in Brooklyn, county of Kings, and State of New York, haveinvented a new and useful Improvement in N eedle-Clamps for SeWingdachines, of which the followin is a description.

This invention relates to sewing machines, and more particularly tomeans for securely holding the needle firmly and properly in positionfor cooperation with the looper.

Specifically, the invention relates to needle-clamps by means of which aneedle can be quickly and accurately adjusted in, or relatively to, aneedle-bar.

The objects of my invention are to provide a simple and cheapneedle-clamp for holding the needle to the bar; to provide aneedleclanip by means of which the needle can be firmly held in place;and to provide a needleclamp by which the needle can be quickly placedin position and accurately adjusted.

With these objects in view, and others of importance which will appearduring the course of this description, my invention consists of theparts, features and combinations hereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawings forming part of this specilication: Figure 1 shows infront elevation sufficient of the arm of a sewing-machine to illustratethe application of my invention, the clamp being shown to the needlebar;Fig. 2 shows the needle-clamp in elevation applied to the needle-bar,the lower end only of the latter being shown; Fig. 3 is side elevationof the parts of Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section on line 1 4 ofFig. 2; and Fig. 5 is a cross-section on line 5-5 of Fig. 2.

A, is the frame of any ordinary sewing machine; B, the needle-baroperating lever, pivoted to the frame, operated in any suitable manner,and connected to the needle-bar by the usual link 0.

The needle-clamp consists of the angular bar or lever 1, pivoted at 2,to the needle bar 3, and partially embracing the lower end of thelatter. The lever 1, at its upper end, is provided with the boss 1,transversely bored and screw-threaded for the reception of theclamp-screw 5. The lower end of the lever 1, is provided with thetransverse pin or short bar 7. The needle-bar has a longitudinal bore 8,as usual, for the reception of the nee- Specification of Letters Patent.

SE IDIOT-MACHINES.

Patented March 2, 1909.

Divided and this application filed August 17, 1903. 169,685.

dle 9, which stem is slabbed on one side at 10. The needle-bar istransversely cut at 11, for the reception and play of the bar 7, and ata distance above said out 11, is smooth bored at 12, for the receptionof the smooth end of the clamp-screw 5.

The lever 1, it will be seen in Fig. 5, generally speaking, is made toconform to the shape of the needle-bar; but, this is not of the essenceof my invention, because the spirit of my invention would be involvedand the objects thereof accomplished by making the lever in simple formand providing the same with two contact points for engagement with theneedle at two separate points of its shank.

It will now be clear that after the stem of the needle is inserted inthe end of the needlebar, and the screw 5, is turned, by manipulatingits knurled head 13, until its smooth end 14, engages the upper end ofthe stem of the needle, the clamp will have its bar 7, forced againstthe lower ortion of the shank of the needle. This p aces firm pressureupon the needle-shank at two separated points and prevents even theslightest movement of the needle either longitudinally or axially. Theconstruction just described also enables the needle to be alwaysaccurately set without any care on the part of the operator, inasmuch aswhen the bar 7, engages the needle-shank or stem, the latter will beimmediately turned and prop erly set, thus avoiding the necessity forcare when the stem is inserted in the bar; and if said stem is thusinserted with its rounded portion adjacent the bar 7, it will beinstantly manifest to the operator and he has simply to turn the needleuntil its slabbed side engages the bar 7, when the needle will no longerbe able to turn. Moreover, when the screw 5, is set with its end againstthe slabbed side of the stem of the needle, it will be impossible forthe latter to turn, and the tighter the screw is set the tighter the bar7, will engage the needle-stem. Hence, my construction provides a simpleand effective clamp and one which is easily manipulated and requires nocare on the part of the operator in setting the needle properly in themachine. The pivot pin 2, in this form of my invention, is shown passingthrough ears or lugs 15, formed on the lever 1, and also passing througha hole drilled in the needlebind said stem against said bar within itsover, it will be clear that I have rovided a bar,see Figs. 3 and ll;but, various changes 1n construction can be made within the spirit andscope of my invention. Moreneedle-clamp which has a duplex caring on theshank of the needle, and that this bearing is produced by manipulatingbut a single element of the clamp. All these are important features ofmy invention and upon them I desire to lay stress.

This application is a division of my application No. 160,207, filed June5, 1903.

Having thus described my invention what I claim and desire to secure byLetters Patcut is:

1. A needle-clamp for sewing machines comprising a supporting barlongitudinally bored for the rece tion of the needle-stem, a leverpivoted to t e bar, and means carried by the lever for contact with theneedlestem at separate points, the lever pivot and contact means beingdisposed on opposite sides of said bore and being thus capable ofoperation to bind said stem against said bar.

2. In combination with a needle having a stem with a flattened portion,a needleclam comprising a needle-bar longitudinally bore at one end forreception of said stem, a lever pivoted to said needle-bar by a pinextending transversely thereof, and means carried by the lever forcooperating with the flattened portion of said stem whereby to bore andsimultaneously properly position the needle in the bar.

3. A needle-clamp for sewing machines comprising a supporting bar, and alever pivoted to the bar having a plurality of contact devices forengaging the needle-steml and binding the latter against the bar, and lone of said contact devices being movable relatively to said lever.

4. A needle-clamp for sewing machines comprising a supporting bar, and alever pivoted to the bar having a plurality of contact devices forengaging the needle-stem,

and binding thelatter against the bar, and one of sa1d contact deviceshaving means for engaging said lever and forcing another of said devicesinto engagement with the needle-stem.

5. A needle-clamp for sewing machines 7 caused to engage theneedle-stem.

7. A needle-clamp for sewing machines comprising a supporting barlongitudinally bored for the reception of the needle-stem, said barbeing also transversely cut and transversely bored, a lever pivoted tothe bar in rear of the longitudinal bore, and means carried by theleverfor entering the transverse bore and the cut for engaging theneedle-stem and binding the same against the bar.

8. A needle-clamp for sewing machines comprising a supporting bar, alever of the first order pivoted to said bar, a plurality of contactdevices for engaging the stem of the needle, one of which is fixed tothe lever and another of which is adjustable relatively to the lever,and means supported by the lever for actuating the adjustable contactdevices to cause the same to engage the needle-stem and therebysimultaneously cause the said fixed device to also engage theneedle-stem.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto signed my name in the presence oftwo subscribing witnesses.

JOHN P. WEIS. Witnesses FRANK FINNEY, CHAs. M00. CHAPMAN.

